On the surface, this doesn’t look like the Panthers accomplish much since Jay would have received a one-year deal tomorrow anyway. Hearing the deal is for $4.8 million, and the Panthers felt he could have received as much as $5.5 tomorrow.

The one thing this does is create some good will between the two sides. The fact these two could come to some sort of agreement means Jay may be amenable for something else later one. Signing before going to arbitration eliminates some bad vibes that could come out of the hearing.

It was such a difficult and painful process and it had so much risk inherent in it. And it isn’t completed. But my sincerest desire is to not only win a Stanley Cup but for the team to be really good for a long, long time. I believe that is the deliverable: Keep a very good team together for a long time to the benefit of the fan base and the franchise itself. And win the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup trophy. We made one tiny step last season. We have to get our team into its prime together. The window has opened and now we need to jump through it.

TORONTO, July 28 /PRNewswire/ - More than 100 National Hockey League players say they are ready to hit the ice this summer to participate in a trial of Thermablade heated skate blades, Therma Blade Inc. announced today….

“I wore Thermablade for the full 2007-08 NHL season and they gave me a real advantage,” said Reasoner, who played last season with the Edmonton Oilers before joining the Thrashers this month. “I’m going to keep wearing them.”

“I’ve got more speed when I come out of the corners,” said Erat.

Therma Blade Inc. also announced the creation of a new advisory board that will provide guidance on work being done with the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association and other stewards of the game.

From cultivating gays in San Francisco to trying to make San Jose the launch pad to promote ice hockey in China, Bay Area pro sports teams are facing the demographic fact that the biggest growth in their fan base isn’t necessarily among fans with a lifelong affinity for their sport….

Recognizing that demographic fact, the four mainstream professional leagues are trying to expand their demographic base. They are cultivating female, Latino, Asian, and gay and lesbian fans; signing international stars who can forge lucrative immigrant connections in a team’s home market; and even planting teams outside the United States.

The Sharks are following that last route. San Jose’s NHL franchise will have an affiliated pro team in Shanghai this fall with North American and Asian players - the China Sharks - playing teams from Japan and Korea.

The goal, said Sharks President and Chief Executive Greg Jamison, is to seed hockey interest in the world’s most populous nation.

The Washington Capitals’ run to the playoffs has created an unprecedented level of interest in new season tickets for the upcoming season.

The team is expected to boost its season-ticket base by as many as 5,000 seats this year, thanks in part to a sales campaign that has included monthly events at Verizon Center and an aggressive phone and direct mailing effort.

“It’s really going to be a great offseason for us,” Caps vice president of ticket sales Jim Van Stone said.

Hundreds of fans went to Verizon Center on Thursday for an open house featuring Caps defenseman Mike Green, and the team sold more than $100,000 in new season tickets during the event.

There actually was one Selanne sighting recently, if the Finnish video of Teemu playing tennis doubles was shot recently. I forwarded it to Ducks general manager Brian Burke, who didn’t seem amused.

“If anyone spots him,” Burke said, “have him call me.”

What’s the rush? Just because training camp opens next month and the Ducks open their 2008 exhibition schedule Sept. 24 against the Sharks?

I’m guessing Selanne, an unrestricted free agent, will re-sign — for whatever the Ducks have to offer under the salary cap — as soon as Burke makes another roster move (perhaps trading Mathieu Schneider) to reduce the payroll.

By now, everyone in the organization should realize there is Pacific Daylight Time — and then there is Teemu Time.